gaffney



Patented 001;. 7, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l. B. GAFFNEY,.

ROTARY FUHNACE.'

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 191e.

J. B. GAFFNEY. ROTARY FuRNAcl-i,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 191B.

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narran sraraartr onirica JOSEPH B. GAFFN EY, 0F ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO POTASH EXTRAC- 'IION CORPORATION, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ROTARY FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.. Patented (het. 7,1919'.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. GAFFNEY, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Allentown, county of Lehigh, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rotary Furnaces, of which the following is a specification', the principle of the invention being herein explained, and the best mode in which I have ycontemplated applying that principle so as t0 distinguish it from other inventions.

' The present invention, relating, as indi.- cated, to rotary furnaces, is particularly directed to the provision in such a furnace of improved means for removing the material therefrom without causing the stopping of the apparatus or the introduction to the. rotary furnace or container of outside air. Another object of the invention is the provision of means for preventing wear on the furnace chamber and still other means for avoiding caking of the material being treated. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying 'the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in section of my improved furnace; Figl 2 is a transverse section through the same; and Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and -"i are end elevations illustrating the operation of the discharge gate.

The present apparatus isadapted to the treatment of various materials which must be maintained out of contact with the atmosphere during the heat-ing of the same and which are constructed to pass the material through various zones of heat and to then remove the material from the apparatus while the apparatus is still in operation.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a general view of the apparatus which consists of a cylindrical furnace chamber 1, mounted at a slight angle to the horizontal and extending lhrmlgh a furnace 2. The combustion chamber ot' the furnace carrying the grates is indicated at 3, and the vproducts of combuslion and the burning gases pass upwardly around the container 1 and along the same to a stack 4. These gases are kept in contact with the chamber 1 for a considerable distance by means of deflecting arches 6 and 7, of which the arch 6 extends upwardly from the bottom of the furnace and is cut out in a semi-circle so that it contacts a sleeve 40 around the cylinder 1. In this way all of the products of combustion are forced to pass upwardly around this cylinder and then along the sleeve by means of a second deflecting wall 7, which extends dawnwardly from the top of the furnace, and vis also out out in a semi-circle so that it fit-s closely about the uppery half of the sleeve 40. In this way that portion of the cylinder 1 between the left wall of the furnace and the arch 3 is maintained at a very high temperature, while the other portion of the cylinder 1, which is within the furnace, is

also heated to varying temperatures by theVV discharging gases from the tire.

The furnace chamber 1, which is preferably formed 'of iron or steel, is of course subject to rapid deterioration in that part which is in direct contact with the combus-` tion gases, it having been found that a cylinder of this type when so exposed will Wear away at a very fastrate. To avoid this rapid wear of the furnace cylinder a pr tection or outer sleeve 40 is disposed about that lportion of the chamber which is within the furnace. This protecting sleeve 40 may 'be formed of any suitable material such as refractory 'blocks and will extend the entire distance through the furnace chamber from one wall of same to the other, and will entirely prevent the combustion gases from directly contacting the furnace chamber 1. It will be understood that as the furnace is preferably being run continuously there will be little loss in temperature in the furnace 1 by reason of this protecting sleeve, but merely the avoidance of the wear on the cylinder caused by the combustion gases.

The cylinder 1 is suitably mounted in the usual manner by means of tracks 8 operated on bearings or rollers 9, and is'driven by means of a gear 10 mounted cylindrically on the cylinder, and operated by a pinion 11 on the shaft 12. At the upper -or right hand end of Fig. 1 is a feeding conveyor-in the form ofl a screw 13 operating in the conduit 14, into which material may be fed by any suitable means from the conduit 16,

nace is of course closed except for the openand hopper 15. The upper endof the furing for the conduit 14 and material may be fed into the furnace chamber 1 at a constant predetermined rate of speed. This material is then carried'slowely down the length of the conduit through the rotation of the same and is lifted and dropped back into the bottom of the conduit by means of special plates or angles mounted in the cylinder 1, as will be later described.

At the discharge end .0f the cylinder 1 there is provided a discharge chamber or casing in the form of a closed yhndrlcal section 18. This section is of larger diameter than the cylinder 10, and is mounted at the end of the same, concentric therewith. Gates or valves 19 and 20 are ivotally mounted in the section 18, the. rst of these gates being pivoted about an axis disposed transversely with respect to the center line of the cylinderl, and the second gate about a longitudinal aXis parallel with the center line of the cylinders. l land 18. Both of the gates or valves are operated automatically. rlhe gate 19 which opens upwardly into the discharge chamber 18 is openedby gravity when this gate is brought into its lower position, in which position a weight 21, connected to the gate by meansv of a link 22, causes the gate tn open and to permit the material in the cylinder 1 to discharge into the casing 18. The time of opening of this chamber will be about one-half of a revolution of the chamber 18 since the gate will be more or less open during all of the time that the weight 21 is above the central horizontal 4plane through the discharge casing 18.

The valve 2O is also controlled as to its opening by means of a weight 26 carried on the end of an arm 25, which is pivoted to an arm 27 connected A to the valve 20 at .the pivotal axis of the latter. The weight 26 moves along a guide consisting of two supports 28 and 29, disposed upon the outer end of the discharge casing 18 andmaking an obtuse angle with each other. yIn Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 successive `positions of this gate 20 are shown during one revolution of the furnace chamber andthis gate will be timed to remain openY only when the gate 19 is closed so that there is never any connection between the interior of the furnace chamber and the outside atmosphere. The furnace chamber and discharge casing 18 are rot-ated in the direction of thel arrow shown in Fig. 3, in which figure the weight 26 has just moved to the right handend of the guide 29. As the casing l rotates into the osition shown in Fig. 4 the guide 29 is carried past the horizontal and is inclined in the opposite direction from its position" stopped against the guide 28,. which in this i position is still inclined to the horizontal. .The valve 20 is opened by the movement of the weight 26 down the guide 29 and will remain open until the chamber is rotated into the position shown in'Fig. 5, when the guide 28 is inclined downward from the horizontal and from'its interior end, which' permits the weight 26 tomove to the outer end of this guide 28, and in doing so to pull the valve 20 in its closed position. .During 'the further rotation ofthe casing, at least until'the guide'29 approaches a vertical posiwill hang vertically downward asindicatedf .in- Fig. 6, and throughout this portion of the revolution will keep the valve 20 closed.

tion, as shown in Fig. 7,'the .weight '26,

When the position shown in Fig. 7 is reached' y theweight 27 will again contact against theat the moment at which it is desired that the valve 20 should open, while the interval of opening of the valve 20 is determined by the angle which is included betweenv the guides 28 and 29. lf this angle is made more acute then'the guide 20 will remain open for a longer interval.

The adjustment of the relative positionino of guides and gate may be secured during or afterassembly of the dischargefcasin as the guides are mounted on the end w l 41 of the casing b means of -bolts `42 and los be set at di erent positions to give ma different times of opening for the gate 20. rdnarily it will not be necessary lto vary the interval of opening of the gate, although this may be readily accomplished by setting the guides in-adiferent angular relation as stated.

While it is' intended that the material which will be furnaced in the chamber 1 will be substantially dry and free from moisture, still it vis deslrable to rovide means for avoiding any caking of t is ma# terial and for maintaining a constant agitation of the material in the furnace. One form of such means is shown in Fig. 2 and consists of a framework. which will preferably extend ffor substantially the entire' I length of the furnace.

membersl 30 connected together at their ends as indicated, and bearing at each corner outwardly facing angles 31. The outside dimension of the circle passing-through the outer points or edges of the four angles '31 ,will be slightly less than the insidediameter of the furnace chamber 1,u and t-hus as the furnace chamber l is rotated the framework 3l will pivot about each of the angles 3l in turn and will work its way around the interior wall of the furnace, each of the angles 3l falling into the material in the furnace and breaking up in lumps which may be4 formed, and also jarring free from the walls of the furnace any material that has begun to stick. This framework, in the course of a number of revolutions of thc furnace will strike the inner wall of the same at practically all points in succession and will thus serve to effectively clean the material from the wall. Besides' acting to remove the material which may be stuck on the walls it agitates the material since some material is carried up on the innerface of the angles 31 and is dropped back into the bottom of the furnace as these angles or shelves make an angle with the horizontal approximately to the angle of repose of the material, which is probably in the neighborhood of 30 degrees, so that'the shelves will discharge their load when about 60 degrees from the vertical position.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims o r thel equivalent of such stated means be employed.'

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention l. In a furnace of the character described, a discharge chamber comprising a casing rotatably mounted about a' substantially horizontal axis, inlet and outlet valves inl said casing, and means adapted to cause said valves to open at different times in the rotation'of said casing.

2. -In a furnace of the character described, a discharge chamber comprising a casing rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis, inlet and outlet valves in said casing, said valves being mounted on opposite sides of the axis of said casing, and being adapted to open alternatively.

In a furnace of the character described, a discharge chamber comprising a casing rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis, inlet and outlet valves in said casing, said valves being mounted on opposite sides of the axis of said casing, and weighted means connected to said valves and adapted to cause the same to open at different times inthe rotation of said casing.

4t In a frnace .of the character described, aV discharge chamber comprising a casing rotatably mounted about a substantially hori- Zontal axis, inlet and outlet valves in said casing, one of said valves being mounted in one end wall and the other in the side of said casing 180 from said first named valve, said valves being normally closed by gravity, and weighted means adapted to successively open said valves at predetermined times in the rotation of said casing.

5. In a furnace of the character described,

a discharge chamber comprising a casing rotatably mounted about a substantially horizontal axis, a valve mountedcircumferentially 1n the wall of said casing, and operatmg means for saldjvalve mounted on the said valve and movable along said guides,

said Weight being timed to open and close said valve 'by the relative position of said end wall and valve.

7. An agitator for a cylindrical furnace chamber comprising a framework disposed longitudinally in said chamber and having a. maximum transverse dimension appreciablyless than the inside diameter of saidV chamber, said framework being provided with longitudinally extending angles adapted to swing against the inner wall of said chamber upon rotation of the same. Y 8. An agitator for a cylindrical furnace chamber comprising a framework disposed longitudinally in said chamber and having a maximum transverse dimension appreciably less than the inside diameter of said chamber, said framework being` rectangular in cross section and being adapted to swing periodically about the edges lowermost in said chamber as thelatter rotates.

9. An agitator for a cylindrical furnace chamber comprising a framework disposed longitudinally in said chamber and having a maximum transverse dimension appreciably less than the inside diameter of said chamber, said framework having a series of 'longitudinally extending angles and being adapted to progressively move around the inner wall of said chamber a's the latter ro a. tates.

Signed by'me, this 9 day of March, 1918.

JOSEPH B. GAFFNEY. 

